


King

by TheMiraclesInWords



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Alternate Universe - Pokemon, Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku are Best Friends, Bakugou Katsuki Has a Heart, Bakugou Katsuki is a Good Friend, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I fixed the title after a lot of debating, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Midoriya Izuku is a Dork, Midoriya Izuku is a Good Friend, Midoriya Izuku is a Ray of Sunshine, Protective Bakugou Katsuki, The Author is Trying but a Little Confused
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2020-12-31 06:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21099110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMiraclesInWords/pseuds/TheMiraclesInWords
Summary: Izuku lives in a world where everyone is alwayswanting. Wanting to be the Top Trainer. Wanting to be famous on television and online. Wanting to be invincible. Wanting to be a hero.He gave up on all of that years ago. He knows better now. Between escaping his past and trying to sustain the present, he doesn't have time for wishing on stars or daydreaming fantasies too good to be true. Doing that cost himeverything, and he isn't making the same mistake again. He keeps his plans for the futures realistic, doing things he knows he can do and avoiding everything he can't.But life is not something you can predict, no matter how hard you try.





	1. Loneliness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bakugou Katsuki is very tired of a cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the fruit of my absolute procrastination. "Into the Past, Present and Future" and "to bloom and grow" are still in progress and I know I should update them (and I will) but for now, my brain had other plans.
> 
> Also, before we begin, note: Every single person on the planet is paired to a Pokemon. Usually around the age of four or five, a person meets their Pokemon partner. People verify it by using a Pokeball; it's impossible to catch another person's Pokemon, even if this Pokemon has not met their partner yet. So basically, if I throw a Pokeball at a Pokemon and it doesn't go in, it's not mine, even if it wants to be or if I want it to be. There is no such thing as Quirklessness in this world too. If a person doesn't have a Pokemon (this is incredibly rare to the point where most believe it to be a myth), it's either because they haven't found them yet because of reasons or the Pokemon has died. Because Pokemon tend to have longer lifespans then humans, it's more common to see a Stray Pokemon who simply outlived their Trainer (and no, these Pokemon cannot be caught).
> 
> Another Important Note: Most people don't battle because they just feel like it. It is a sport and most people who are serious about it go to Arenas to train and fight others. This is supervised and professionally refereed. You might see the occasional two kids battling for fun, but it's (usually) too small to cause any real damage. 
> 
> Final Note: I won't tell you what happened (yet) but Katsuki's and Izuku's childhood together was very different than canon, for the most part. As a result, their relationship is different
> 
> (Real) Final Note: I rushed through this entire thing in the span of exactly two days. Please tell me about my grammar issues or if anything doesn't make any sense.
> 
> That's all from me and I will proceed to shut up now.

Katsuki was _officially_ done with these extras.

It took every ounce of his self-restraint (which consisted of mostly the thought of stupid Deku telling him over and over again that he shouldn’t blow up every single jerk to smithereens) not to straight up let Detonation do what he did best. Katayami and his stupid Glameow wouldn’t stand a chance, but if that happened, neither would his reputation. U.A only accepted the best of the best, and if he wanted to get in, he would need to keep his temper in check. 

“So today we were supposed to go over career choices,” Tani-Sensei announced. “But I know you all are aiming to be Pro-Trainers, so what’s the point?”

Katsuki rolled his eyes as every single one of his smug classmates brandished their PokeBalls, some even going as far as to brag about their partners like they were some kind of trophy. And of course fricking Katayami was one of them, along with his lame-ass posse of followers. Glameow sat on his desk, loudly yowling and stretching all over Katayami’s desk. _Turns out the cat’s ego is as big as its Trainer’s. _

“Oi, Bakugou!” _I can’t flip him off, I’m in class. I can’t flip him off, Deku and the old hag won't have it. But I really, really want to flip him off._

Grudgingly, Katsuki turned to see the boy sitting in the seat behind him. Katayami Usagi was grinning widely at him, like he had just won the fricking lottery or something. Glameow matched Katayami’s arrogant stare, and it was just the right balance of idiocy and cockiness to piss Katsuki off. 

Katsuki didn’t reply, only sparing a second to glare at Katayami’s ugly face. The extra grinned even wider. 

“So, I hear you’re applying to U.A,” His voice is painful to listen to and it only fueled Katsuki’s rage. “Kinda funny, huh? Because you can’t just get into the greatest hero school in the country by being all talk,”

As if cued, his posse laughed. Somewhere, Katsuki’s brain registered that Katayami was baiting him, and doing a clumsy job at that. But that didn’t mean wasn’t working, because he felt his blood boil. _Deep breaths. Deep. Fricking. Breaths._

He glanced over at his homeroom teacher, who was acting like he was shuffling through his lesson notes. Like the absolute waste of space he was, Tani-Sensei was doing what he did best: acting like everything was fine. Acting like the entire class wasn’t watching Katayami gloat. Acting like the entire class was waiting for Bakugou Katsuki to explode. Acting like he wasn’t acting waiting for the exact same thing himself. 

“What’d you say?” He kept his voice level, but fierce. His heartbeat was getting fasting and his fists were tightening already. Katsuki mentally mumbled an apology to the old hag; she’d have to fill out a lot of paperwork but it would be worth it to wipe the grin off his face.

_ Think of U.A . . ._

Katayami leaned in closer, and his fricking Glameow leapt from the neighboring desk to his own. It settled there and curled up innocently on his classwork, eyes never once leaving Katsuki’s own. The cat was just daring him to blow it up. 

Katsuki’s finger twitched. 

“I mean, everyone knows you're going to apply,” Katayami laughed to himself. “You’re a prodigy, after all. And born with such a strong Pokemon too. Or, at least,” Katayami’s eyes seemed to glow. “That’s what everyone says. Shame you never actually battle, huh?”

_Don’t do it. . . Don’t do it._ “I do, I just don’t waste my time with extras like you,” Katsuki remarked, trying desperately to keep the venom out of his tone. It doesn’t work and the wattage in his classmate’s smile lowered significantly. The fake smile curled into a snarl. 

“Oh, pardon me!” He made an act of gasping in mock surprise. “I forgot! You’re too good for everyone else. You don’t spend time even glancing at anyone else because you’re so full of yourself, Bakugou Katsuki. You just look down on all of us but you think you’re some superhuman, some untouchable royal sitting on your throne!”

Katsuki’s finger twitched. 

He knew where this was going. It’s been what Katayami has been after for months now. The stupid extra just wanted the limelight and here was his advertisement. 

“You versus me,” The words finally left his lips. “After school, right in the front,” In front, where everyone will be watching. In front, where everyone will be waiting. 

There was a silence, and Katsuki wanted to scream at Tani to actually do his job for once. But he’s too absorbed in the drama himself. That or he’s scared of what Katayami's parents-wealthy PokeStars who could crumple his career like paper-would do if he actually disciplined their son. It’s depressing and irritating and Katsuki decided that he had reached a point. A point where he was done taking all of Katayami’s insults and baiting. A point where he was done with everyone saying he was a coward. A point where he was done with everyone assuming everything about him.

Maybe it was because this was not only an insult to him, but to Detonation. Or maybe it was the stress from applying to U.A. Or maybe it was the fact that even during his final year at this crappy middle school, he couldn't catch a break. Or maybe it was just the sheer hatred Katsuki felt towards that fricking Glameow. It was most likely a combination of all of them.

But regardless of why, Katsuki put on a sneer to match Katayami’s own. “Let's get this over with,”

* * *

Katsuki always hated his classes. Not because of the academic subjects themselves, but because of the jerks that came along with it.

One year, it was a group trying to get Katsuki to train them. They followed him almost religiously for a few months, before (finally) realizing that he wouldn’t. So then they turned to the second most annoying thing they could have done: gossip. Everywhere he turned, he saw Yasuda and Isa and Hara in the hallways, whispering and giggling, trying to get his attention.

Another year, it was the Muraoka Squad, constantly trying to recruit him to “battle” alongside them. In reality, all Muraoka would do was go around challenging people she knew she could beat. And suddenly, if she underestimated someone or if they had an unexpected ability or move, it was cheating that secured her victory. Using her cronies to distract the opponent, or sending an attack directed at the Trainer as an “accident”; it was all just pathetic to Katsuki. So when Muraoka tried to battle him, he declined. Every. Single. Time. 

If it wasn't Muraoka, it was Amaya. If it wasn’t Amaya, it was Shizuko. If it wasn’t Shizuko, it was Nakanishi. If it wasn’t Nakanishi, it was Osada. Over and over again in a constant loop of using someone to get what you want. And this year, Katayami was filling the role of “Obnoxious Brat”. 

Katsuki knew that he was strong. Katsuki knew that he was better. Katsuki knew that he was intimidating to just about everyone in the school because he and Detonation trained harder than all of them put together. And because of that, it scared people, people like Yasuda and Muraoka and so many other nameless extras that blend together because they were all the same, fricking person. If they couldn't be stronger than him, they would take advantage of him.

He had managed to endure their torment by reminding himself many, many times that U.A wouldn’t condone violence like this, even if it could be considered heroic for shutting all of them up. Deku helped when that wasn't enough, listening endlessly with the infinite well of patience the nerd somehow possessed. 

But Katayami was different. He deserved his own category of horrible. Katayami was relentless, stopping at nothing to get what he wanted. It wasn't just fake victories or to be on Katsuki's good side. He and his Glameow were more than welcome to tear down anyone’s reputation, beat another up senselessly or blackmail them into submission in order to be dominant. To be the single person in charge of Aldera. And Katsuki was the only person left standing in his way. 

Something about that grin almost made Katsuki want to explode. He hated every single fiber of Katayami and every single hair of his Glameow's fur. But Katsuki wasn’t dumb-far from it. He knew why Katayami made him so angry, why every single grin was so much harder to resist than everyone else's . . . 

_ Don't think about that_, he told himself. It wasn't like moping around was going to help his situation.

He ate lunch on the roof that day, something strictly prohibited by the school. It was a rookie move, with dozens of newbies testing their luck and getting caught. But it was midway through the school year and no one really cared about the place anymore.

It was quiet, so he finally had time to think since his sudden declaration of war. 

He had two options: 1) Battle Katayami or 2) Don’t battle Katayami. It was really that simple and Katsuki knew somewhere that he should not waste time or energy on a match just for show. If he was able to surpass the past extras, what makes Katayami so different?

Katsuki already knew the answer though. A voice in the back of his head hissed softly despite Katsuki's attempts to suppress it. _He reminds you of yourself_, a voice in his head said. _Arrogant. Selfish. Aiming for Number One. Willing to hurt anyone that gets-_

He shook his head violently, trying to clear the thoughts from his head. He took a deep breath and leaned his head against the cool brick wall behind him. Katsuki wasn't really hungry anymore, and chasing his thoughts in circles like a Skitty trying to get its tail wasn't really productive either. 

Almost automatically, he found pulling out his phone and navigating to his contacts. His finger was already hovering over Deku’s contact number when he fully realized what he was doing. _He should be done soon_, Katsuki thought to himself. _Probably sitting through some intermission or something._

But this was small, a daily occurrence. It came with coming to a crappy middle school with a bunch of dummies. This wasn’t the type of thing he wanted to bother the nerd with anyways. Deku had enough to worry about, from the exam and his internship and dealing with a crappy society.

Katsuki could handle this on his own. Pocketing his phone, he stood up and made a decision.

* * *

The bell rang, and Kenta-Sensei assigned something or other for homework. Everyone filed out, making their way towards the school’s main entrance. They knew what was happening, and the excitement around the school was almost tangible. 

It’s a stupid game to them. Nothing but a spectacle to pass time. 

Detonation’s PokeBall weighed heavy on his hip. Despite his very intense urges to _Fire Punch_ Glameow in the face, it wasn’t much of training for Detonation, or anything beneficial. He honestly should just walk straight out of the school building and survive through the inevitable talk tomorrow. If he was lucky, only one or two people would be out by now. 

Katsuki _hated_ running away, but he hated the idea of stooping down to Katayami's level even more. 

Katsuki pushed opened the school doors and promptly wanted to go back into the school.

What waited for him was not only his entire grade, but the majority of the middle school. Everyone, from the seniors to the freshmen, all forming a semicircle that blocked the exit. Talk buzzed, people making bets and pulling out phones to post on whatever social media platform they had. 

“-money’s on Katayami. I mean, there’s no way Bakugou is actually as strong as everyone says-”

“-Detonation has the obvious type advantage. I don’t know what Katayami is-”

“-for real though. The first time Bakugou’s ever actually fought someone-”

He was trapped. Cornered.

Katsuki scolded himself for being so optimistic. If Katayami was good at anything, it was rallying a crowd. The devil was standing in the middle of the circle, tossing his PokeBall up and down rhythmically. Glameow was already outside though, pacing around the terrain like a Pyroar defending its territory. 

And then it clicked in Katsuki's head. Something was wrong. This wasn’t just another petty battle request from Katayami.

He was too confident, standing just a little too straight. The smug smile never left his face. Warning bells went off in Katsuki’s mind. _What’s he hiding?_

“Well, well,” Katayami purred and Katsuki hated how fitting it was. “Look who finally showed up. Ready to keep up your end of the bargain?”

The crowd hushed, eyes all watching Katsuki’s every breath. There was no talking his way out of this one. There was no running. Suddenly, the prospect of fighting Katayami didn't seem so great after all. 

“This better be worth it,” Tentatively, he unhooked Detonation’s PokeBall from his belt. He gripped it in his hand as if it were a lifeline. “Detonation,”

Katsuki wasn’t one for the flashy catchphrases or flaunting witty remarks. Some Trainers had to call their Pokemon desperately for them to come out of the PokeBall. Katsuki sometimes doubted he had to say anything at all for Detonation to come.

In a flash of white light, Detonation emerged, tall figure standing taller than the rest of the crowd. His stance was firm and practiced from years of training and drilling. “Blaze,” Detonation hummed. Katsuki heard something different though. _“Try me”_. 

“So this is the alleged Blaziken we’ve all heard rumors off,” Katsuki bristled. There was a reason Katsuki didn’t go around flaunting his partner and his strength: common sense. Detonation wasn’t a prize, a lucky lottery draw and he wasn’t going to treat him like that. 

_Katsuki would never, ever stoop down that low._

One of Katayami’s “friends” stepped in the middle of the battleground, placing his arm out like a referee. “We all know the rules,” He said. “One on one, Blaziken vs. Glameow. The match ends when either or both sides are no longer able to battle,” 

Katsuki cracked his knuckles. 

“Both sides ready . . .”

_If we’re doing this, might as well try a bit._

“Begin!”

He let Katayami have the first move, watching the ways his eyes shifted and the way his lips quirked upwards. Katsuki had fallen into the habit of watching his opponent's every movement, and this wasn’t always the Pokemon. Sometimes, Trainers’ lack of a proper Poker face made all the difference.

There was a beat of silence before Katayami gestured forward and yelled “Go and use Slash!”.

Glameow lunged at Detonation, pouncing with unexpected speed. Katsuki’s eyes widened and he called out. “Dodge!”

Detonation stumbled backwards, twisting and shifting to try to get out of the way. Katayami’s smirk stretched wider. It was a synchronized dance, Glameow leaping and swiping at Blaziken who desperately tried to keep out of the way. Katayami most likely just called the attack for show, seeing as even if the attack did connect, it had the type-disadvantage. So Katsuki watched the way the Pokemon’s body would twist midair when it attack, or when it would touch down and spring back up, analyzing the way it moved right before it attacked. 

And finally, that moment came. _Enough of this._

The second Glameow was closing in, Katsuki called out “_Double Kick,_”.

Detonation nodded, shifting his weight on his back leg and swung. The roundhouse kick met Glameow directly, causing the Pokemon to fly backwards. Detonation nodded, more to himself than anything. It stumbled and rolled back, hissing venomously. 

“Are we done yet?” Katsuki growled, challenging Katayami. Not only did Detonation have the type advantage, he was far stronger. After a few more direct hits like those, the match would be over. There was no way Katayami could miss that fact. But despite the condition of his Pokemon, he tilted his head even so slightly at Bakugou. 

“You know, Bakugou Katsuki,” He murmured softly as Glameow got back onto its feet. It was baring its fangs now, ears perked defensively. “I was waiting for that infamous temper of yours. Because you’re so strong and so infallible, you don’t think twice about other people, people like me. But I’m here to prove you wrong, in front of everyone,”

_What’s he going to pull now?_ Detonation’s eyes met Katsuki’s, and ever so subtly, Katsuki shook his head. They couldn’t charge into offensive mode just yet, they needed to wait, analyze the situation and continue to let Katayami gloat, just as a precaution. 

“So, I invite you to say any last words before I snatch that pretty little crown off your head,” Katayami mused. “Any last words while you still sit on that broken little throne of yours, king?”

Katsuki shrugged, the familiar message having long gone stale after years of hearing it. _Just another jealous extra_, he told himself. _ Nothing more, nothing less_. So, with absolutely no regrets, he deflected the question with a shrug and a raised middle finger. 

Katayami’s face darkened and Katsuki finally heard a snap in that smug composure. “Glameow,” His eyes glinted with malice. “Use Surf,”

* * *

The crowd exploded at the words, and Usagi loved it. The shock at their skill, the feeling of pride that swelled in his chest, the way he had the spotlight to himself. Glameow felt it too, the electricity of the battle, and he loved it too. 

“-the hell?! How does a Glameow know Surf?! There’s no-”

“-tutors. I heard that his parents got him a tutor when-”

“-screwed. There’s no way he’s going to survive this.”

Before Bakugou could say anything to his Blaziken, before Detonation move, before anyone could fully comprehend what happened, a wall of water promptly was created. Soon after, it collapsed down onto the duo. The force of the attack knocked the first line of the crowd back, every doused and drenched. The dry earth was transformed into an uneven, muddy landscape. Cement disappeared underneath dirt and water, puddles forming as if it had just stormed. Both Blaziken and Bakugou were enveloped by a large wave of water. 

No one in the crowd was spared, not even Usagi or Glameow. But a little water was worth it. _How the tides turn_, he mused to himself. The moment the water finally settled, it revealed Blaziken flat on the ground. Bakugou was no different, the force having swept him off his feet. Neither of them stirred. 

"Glam," Glameow purred, looking delighted.

Tanaka or Takana or someone stepped forward, continuing his job as referee. He was shivering, every inch of his body soaked as a result of the attack. “B-Blaziken is unable to battle," His voice was smaller than what Usagi wanted, but it would suffice. “Katayami is the-”

“Get ready to die!!” Bakugou’s voice roared, and Usagi felt as though someone had given him a swift kick to the ribs. _No . . . it’s not possible._ Every single head turned in the direction of Bakugou because surely, there was no way either of them had been able to withstand that.

But for some reason beyond him, Surf hadn't worked. The duo were staggering to their feet, slow but unwavering. Bakugou’s clothes and hair were dripping and every inch of his body was soaked. Every inch of Blaziken’s fur was matted and wet. But they were both still ready for battle, glaring with an intensity that made his breath hitch. Bakugou's scarlet eyes _burned_ brightly.

The crowd, once rowdy and talkative and buzzing with gossip, fell absolutely silent. Everyone was utterly speechless. Bakugou let out a harsh barking laugh. "Give us something a little harder next time, okay?"

"H-how did you survive?" Katayami stuttered. "I-it should have at least knocked out Detonation! W-water is stronger than fire!" They were obviously wet so Detonation hadn't used _Protect_ or dodged, so why were they down?!

“We all learned that in preschool. If you want to win, it’ll have to be using more than basic type-based strategies,” It was a cruel, bitter smile that unnerved Usagi, chilling him down to the bone. Blaziken clenched a fist and within an instant, powered up a _Fire Punch_. Any moisture that coated his fur evaporated immediately under the sheer intensity of the fire. The Pokemon didn't seem weakened in the slightest. If not for the muddied battlegrounds and their clothes, it was almost like nothing had happened. A few people stepped backwards, horror present on their faces.

“If you want to beat us, Katayami,” Usagi didn’t have any snappy remarks left. Glameow growled low, back arching in defense. 

“You’ll have to get on my level. Because now, we’re not in the same league,” 

Usagi was trembling, every single inch of his being felt exposed under Bakguou’s judging stare. Hours of training, promising himself that he could best Bakugou Katsuki that he would win. It shattered in front of his eyes like glass. 

“I-I-” Should he quit? He certainly couldn’t win, not if that monster could withstand Usagi’s only trump card. But if he didn’t, what would the others say? Usagi had spent all day, talking down Bakugou, boasting that he was nothing but talk and weakness. Saying that Usagi was better, stronger, smarter than him. _Time for Plan B_

Fear led to cold, hard rage. He looked to Sango and Jin, both standing on the sidelines. Their faces were identical looks of terror. Usagi nodded curtly in their direction, the signal he had confined with them in case of emergency. It shook them out of their stupor. Both grabbed their PokeBalls and disappeared in the crowd. Their Pokemon (he couldn’t remember any species or nicknames off the top of his head) could use_ Helping Hand_, so if they both boosted Glameow’s attack, plus type advantage, no amount of resilience would spare Blaziken. 

_Checkmate, Bakugou Katsuki, I win._

“You’ve put on quite the show today,” Usagi announced. “Let’s get serious, shall we?”

Bakugou glared in his direction. "Let's end this now," Usagi let out a cocky laugh that he didn't really feel.

"Is the king backing away now?" Though he didn't respond, the taunt seemed to work because he only clenched his fists and let out a breath. Usagi couldn't place what was going on in his opponent's mind. There wasn't his typical rage or distaste, just a neutral mask that never seemed to shift.

The crowd was still, anxiety thumping throughout the group like a heartbeat. The wind rustled slightly, cutting sharper against his skin because he was drenched. Usagi waited until both Sango or Jin were in place. And when they were, Usagi didn’t bother with a smile or with showmanship. Now wasn't the time to worry about his popularity or how he looked in front of the cameras. There was only one thing left in his mind now.

All he needed was to destroy Bakugou Katsuki, here and now. 

“Detonation,” Bakugou said evenly. “Use-”

“Kacchan?” A voice appeared, accompanied by the sound of footsteps and panting. There was someone pushing through the crowd. Shocked numb, the newcomer quickly slipped their way through the sea of students. He was on the shorter side, with dark green hair and freckles. He had on him an unusually large messenger bag. Emerald eyes flickered between Bakugou (Did someone seriously just call Bakugou Katsuki “Kacchan” without being the victim of murder?) and Usagi. Usagi didn’t recognize him, not from his grade or from the school. But clearly, Bakugou did.

The second Bakugou saw him, something flickered on Bakugou’s face, something akin to . . . guilt, his expression darkening at the sight of the stranger. It was gone in an instant, and Usagi wondered if it had just been a figment of his imagination. _ This just gets weirder and weirder._

“What the Hell are you doing here?” He asked, and the entire crowd stilled to listen. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking an exam?”

“I was,” The boy said, shrugging lightly. Usagi didn’t believe this. No one ever talked so . . . causally to Bakugou, not even the teacher. “I finished half an hour ago, so I figured I’d stop by before my shift with Aspen started,” He looked around at the gathered crowd, to Usagi, and then back to Bakugou. “Meanwhile, I see someone was busy,”

Usagi couldn’t tell if the boy’s tone was scolding or teasing or disappointed, but it meant something to Bakugou as if the two were speaking a completely different language. 

“Whatever,” Bakugou huffed. He looked to his Pokemon, as if sending him a message telepathically. Blaziken nodded, and Bakugou unfastened his PokeBall from his belt. “Return,” In another flash of white light, Detonation disappeared back into his PokeBall.

“What?!” Usagi managed to sputter when he realized what was happening. “You’re just going to leave! What happened to our battle?!” A more important question left his lips. “ . . . who won?” 

Bakugou didn’t even turn, already walking towards the exit with the mysterious stranger. “You made your point, and I made mine,” He stated coldly. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re done,” 

He raised a hand in a lazy farewell, and Usagi was left with nothing but questions to ask and curiosity surging through him. Just who was that guy? How did he know Bakugou? And . . ."Kacchan"?! Usagi was going to find out.

* * *

They didn't talk until they were a safe distance away from the school. It was normal procedure, except today, they waited a little longer just to make sure no one else was around. "Who was that?" Deku asked eventually. "He seemed . . ." His voice trailed off. Katsuki let out a low breath, fatigue finally showing through.

"No one," Katsuki assured him. "He doesn't really matter," 

"If he got you battling, I'm pretty sure he does matter," Izuku pointed out gently. "And you're soaking wet," Katsuki looked down at his clothes and realized he was leaving a trail of water droplets behind him on the dry sidewalk. He had almost forgotten about that in the rush of the battle. 

"I'll stop by my house before I head over to the Arena," Katsuki grumbled. Deku nodded.

"Want me to come with?"

"Nah, you'll be late to Aspen's," Bakugou said, waving a hand. It really was fricking cold. And embarrassing. _Just another reason to hate Katayami_, he supposed. _ I'll just pile it on the list._

Somehow, Deku managed to catch on his discomfort. "Here," He shrugged off his dark blue jacket, revealing one of his long-sleeved plain shirts underneath. "Have it," 

"No, I don't need it," And after about five minutes of yelling death threats and threatening to call mothers multiple times, Katsuki begrudgingly took the jacket and muttered his thanks. Deku just smiled softly.

"See you later, Kacchan," He said, waving with a bright smile on his face. Katsuki slid on the jacket, and though he would never admit it to Deku, it was a lot warmer with it on.

"See you around," Katsuki said and the two headed their two separate ways.

But as Katsuki walked towards his house, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. That something was off. It was irrational and stupid, probably from the leftover adrenaline from the battle. But regardless, Katsuki shoved his hands in the jacket's pockets just a little deeper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfghjksdfghjkl
> 
> I've been wanting to write this for a while now so it's nice to see it typed out and stuff (idk if I'm making sense but whatever).
> 
> Note: The title is based on the wonderful song "King" by Lauren Aquilina. It's amazing.
> 
> Also: I know that there is a lot of debate about what Trainer should have what Pokemon. I have a list right now that I have compiled from various Google searches of Pokedex entries and from me binging all the things Pokemon!AU, but if there's any Pokemon you want to see, please tell me! No guarantees but I just want to hear what you have to say.
> 
> And as always, thank you for reading my trash. More coming soon (I hope. School takes up way too much of my time).
> 
> \- M.W


	2. Katsuki and Izuku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to Shino for helping point out my typos and mistakes last chapter

Izuku found it ironic that he hadn’t been late _once_ during his internship, but only on his last day did he lose track of time. Normally, Izuku would spend an extra half an hour before he was actually due there, busying himself with just about any stray task Aspen could throw at him. And if he had extra time (and he always made sure he did), she would let him shadow some of the behavioral specialists, commenting on the occasional point they missed, or help treat the occasional strays at the lab. Some days, he would run analysis on some Auric data that was collected. Other times, he’d do maintenance work, making sure that the Pokemon were comfortable where they were and that their food was fresh. 

But after the excitement with Kacchan’s match against some stereotypical jerk, he was running behind on schedule. Pushing his way through the crowd, he took in the mood of the city. It should have been a typical Friday afternoon, but there was a buzzing lingering from a recent villain attack. It was rumored that a new heroine had stepped into the limelight, and though he couldn’t quite catch which Pokemon she had with her, Izuku had gathered that it had been huge. 

He took a sharp right turn at the block, dashing down the block frantically. _I can still make it!_

The research center wasn’t anything particularly flashy and when people thought of visiting the city, seeing to Aspen’s Lab was far from what was on their mind. Like normal, most people in the streets didn’t spare the building a second glance. But to Izuku, it would also fill him with a thrill of anticipation. But today, the normal excitement was muddled with melancholy. 

After swiping his card onto the scanner, the door’s lock clicked and he pushed it open slowly. Inside, he was greeted with familiar chatter. 

“Tanaki, where did you put the meds?”

“With the berries? But Fuyura, do you know where I put my phone?”

“Maybe Lettuce ate it?” Fuyura gave Tanaki a sly look and grinned. The other blanched, eyes shooting wide open.

“Tanaki! Meds! Focus! They’re not there and we’re not leaving here without them!”

“Did you feed your Gulpin my phone?!”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t . . .”

“What?!”

“Where did you put the meds, for crying out loud?!” Yuki sighed deeply, and then suddenly noticed Izuku in the corner, watching the chaos from a distance. He snickered softly and glanced around the room. 

“They might be with the Choice Specs,” He suggested as he went to unpack one of the boxes. “I saw Funai put them together to save space,” After a moment of digging, he brandished an antidote from within the cardboard. Yuki sighed and gave him a tight smile. 

“What are we going to do without you?” She knelt done besides the open box and rummaged through it. “And Aspen’s been looking for you in the back,”

“Got it,” He walked through the familiar hallways. Sunlight was streaming through the windows just right, illuminating the entire building. He opened the door to the courtyard and was greeted with a familiar sight. 

“_Quick Attack_!” A young voice cried. It belonged to a small girl in denim shorts and a black vest. She was no older than eleven, burning with a youthful passion that made Izuku’s smile soften. Her partner was a fire-type Vulpix, who darted around to and fro, attempting to land a hit on the Professor’s partner. 

But Aspen smiled and shook her head. “Dodge,” Leafeon evaded the Vulpix masterfully and efficiently, taking neat sidesteps and lunges to escape getting hit. “Now use _Dig_!” 

The Pokemon burrowed into the ground within seconds, and a whimper escaped the young girl. But she managed to control her impending anxiety and surveyed the battlefield. Her Vulpix glanced around the field, slowly retreating back towards the young girl. 

The ground cracked and Leafeon emerged, tackling the young Vulpix. It was knocked backwards off the battlefield and skidded towards the girl, whose eyes widened in alarm. “Rika!” The Vulpix staggered to its feet, swaying like a palm tree in the wind. Gently, the trainer took Rika into her arms, stood back up and bowed towards Professor Aspen. 

“I-I forfeit,” Her small voice trembled. 

“Good call,” Professor Aspen said softly but firmly. She walked over to the young trainer and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You both fought brilliantly. And there’s no shame in losing a battle as long as you learned something from it,” 

The young girl nodded. “I-I guess,” But regardless, tears welled up in her eyes and her breathing quickened. “But I just hate losing!”

Aspen patted the girl on the back soothingly. “Everyone loses sometimes, even the best of us. What makes us strong is that when we lose, we don’t give up, _ever_,” Even if the words weren’t directed at him, Izuku felt a twinge of guilt settle in his gut. “We always keep fighting,” Aspen, who finally noticed Izuku standing behind her, grinned and beckoned for him to come forward. “Suzume,” She turned to address the girl. “This is my intern, Midoriya Izuku,” 

He waved. “Nice to meet you. I saw your battle and you and Rika did great!” 

She shook her head glumly. “I should have been more aware. Then we wouldn’t have lost!”

Izuku hesitantly knelt down beside her and smiled. He wasn’t great with children, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try. “Do you know about Victory’s Stadium?” Suzume nodded fervently. 

“It’s that really big stadium in the middle of the city! My momma takes me there sometimes to watch battles!” 

“Well, my friend battles there,” He watched her eyes absolutely glitter with admiration. “And he’s one of the best Trainers I know. But do you know what makes him strong?” 

“He always wins?” 

"Do you know why he always wins?” She shook her head. “It’s because he trains alongside his Pokemon every single day, and he has a great relationship with his Blaziken. He’s determined and passionate about being a good Trainer. 

“It’s all about growth. Winning and losing isn't everything. A battle should really be about how the Trainer and Pokemon work together-”

“Do you think I could fight at Victory’s Stadium one day?” Suzume interrupted and Izuku huffed fondly. She didn’t seem vaguely interested in anything he had to say, but at least she looked a little more cheery. 

“Of course,” He finally said. “If you study and train hard,” 

“Okay!” Suzume chirped, before glancing behind her. An older woman was standing near the door with Funai. “I have to go now! My momma’s getting me some ice cream!” 

“Wait a minute,” Aspen said. “The bracelet?” 

“Oh yeah!” She unfastened a sleek, metallic band off her Vulpix’s front leg and handed it to Aspen. “Thank you very much!” 

“I should be thanking you,” She smiled as the girl bounced towards her mother. As Funai showed the duo out, Aspen's grin widened. “I think I just hit the jackpot today,” 

“Comparison data for Cheri,” Izuku hummed. “It’s not too common to meet two Vulpix in the same city,” 

“Exactly,” Aspen clutched the bracelet tightly in her hand, grinning serenely. It was when she got excited about her research that she looked even younger than she was already. The Professor was the youngest certified Pokemon Professor at twenty-nine years old. Her auburn red hair was messily fixed into a braid and her lab coat’s sleeves were tied together across her wait, revealing a simple forest green t-shirt and slacks. “I’ll have a surprise gift for Sycamore when I arrive,”

“You’ll have plenty to talk about,” Izuku nodded. Getting reminded of the Professor’s leaving left him uneasy. “Paris, right?” 

“Yep,” The way she popped the “p” sound made her sound like she was Izuku’s age or younger. Izuku rarely heard someone talk so casually at a place where they should be directing several significant research programs. “And a forest and mountain range that has some history with Aura,” She chuckled softly. “But I have to practice my French,”

He nodded, though his thoughts weren’t exactly with Aspen struggling to communicate with locals. And she noticed, like she always did. “What’s wrong?” 

Leafeon approached him and settled at his feet, fur shimmering in the sunlight. He knelt down to stroke her fur absentmindedly, scratching behind her ear just where she liked it. “Do you remember what it was like to take the Registration Exam?” 

“Of course,” Aspen huffed. “Every professor I’ve talked to still has nightmares about that thing. But you shouldn’t be nervous! You passed it once and you’re a smart kid! You’ll pass it with flying colors!”

There was a small pause before Izuku spoke again. “But what if that’s the problem?”

* * *

Detonation hated being in his PokeBall, so when he wasn’t at school (and wasn't beating up Katayami), Katsuki kept him outside, walking alongside him. 

He had told his mom what had happened, seeing as she wasn’t letting him go anywhere without an explanation for his soaked clothes (and even though he wouldn’t ever admit it, Kangaskhan was a hard Pokémon to try to deny anything from, equally as much of its trainer). So after a harsh scolding and firm knock to the head, she let him go to the Arena with a laundry list of threats if he didn’t behave himself impeccably.

It wasn’t even that big of a deal (yet), so he wasn’t sure why she was fussing so much. Pokémon Battles usually weren’t too destructive when it came to middle school scuffles so it was a lot less likely to get busted for property damage. It was until high school did battling become strictly for competitive reasons or for hero work.

“We should just take the shortcut,” He said, glancing at his watch, “or we’ll miss our match," They approached the entrance to a short tunnel that would shave off a minute or two from their commute time, making it logically the best option. 

But looking at the tunnel, at how the shadows crawled along the floor and walls, he couldn’t get his legs to move. _Thump_. 

There was probably, at a worse, only a Zubat in there, nothing to be afraid of. Nothing Katsuki and Detonation couldn’t handle. 

_Thump_. 

So why the Hell was he shaking? So why the Hell was he hearing screaming-

_Thump_. 

_Thump_. 

“_Blaziken_,” He was jolted out of his thoughts by a pat on the back by Detonation, ushering him forward. Katsuki blinked, before forcing on a scowl and nodding.

“Right,” He nodded towards his partner. “No hesitation,” So they plunged forward.

_It’s just a tunnel, it’s just a tunnel,_ Katsuki reminded himself over and over again. _It’s still daytime, still sunny as Hell. We’re fine._

But despite his wishful thinking, his heart race began to quicken, his lungs constricting on themselves. _Damn it!_ He broke into a dead sprint towards the light, and Detonation followed suit. _Almost there-_

Something caught onto his ankle, something thick and wet and slimy that made Katsuki freeze in place. Emerging slowly from the sewers, a Muk began to rise onto the surface, still holding Katsuki’s ankle captive.

“What the-” A man climbed out of the sewer grate, his eyes a dark violet and hair the color of sewage water. He had a deranged expression on his face, eyes opened too wide and a smile on his face too large. 

Villain.

“Detonation,” Bakugou growled. _Frick the legal system._ He would deal with the consequences after this guy was in jail. “use-”

Katsuki was pulled going forward, the Muk yanking him towards it. Despite how he thrashed and struggled, the sludge began to cover his body until he couldn’t move. The living sludge restrained every bit of his body, and horrible, disgusting slime gagged him. The middle schooler was effectively restrained verbally and physically, but the villain had underestimated them; the two of them could still try to battle. 

Detonation and Katsuki locked eyes, and he nodded slightly. The Blaziken lit up a _Fire Punch_ and prepared to launch himself at the Muk when the man laughed and smirked. Katsuki grimaced.

“I wouldn’t do that, Blaziken,” He taunted merrily, “No matter what moves you used, it wouldn’t be enough to take down my partner within _fifty seconds_. The exact same time it would take Muk to rip apart your Trainer from the inside out, completely destroying the internal systems and organs with excruciating pain. Or, at least, that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve never gotten a witness account,”

He laughed, and Katsuki felt rage course through every inch of his being. He had had it with jerks today. But despite his fierce emotions, it was getting harder and harder to move, and it wasn’t just the Muk.

Katsuki cursed internally. _Muk’s Ability . . . _

“I think you’re smart enough, you’ll know about _Poison Touch_,” He hummed. “When you come in contact with Muk’s body, you’re immediately exposed to its natural toxins. With prolonged exposure, I would hate to see what it would do to you,”

That explains . . . why it’s getting harder . . . to think! Katsuki’s body wasn’t moving like he wanted it to, his vision clouding and dancing. He heard a faint click from his belt and he realized that Detonation’s PokeBall was in the psycho’s hand. He tried to turn his head to see what the villain was doing, but his body was limp, eyelids drooping down slowly. 

“Now, despite how much easier it would be, I can’t return you to your PokeBall seeing as you’re not my Pokémon,” The villain said, “but if you want your Trainer alive, we won’t need to because you’ll come quietly, okay?”

Detonation sent a glance to Katsuki, who narrowed his eyes desperately to send a message. _No. Don’t. Damn . . . it. My body . . . _

“Blaziken,” Detonation said, and nodded. The man smiled, his face contorting darkly as he chuckled or himself.

“How much would you be?” He surveyed Detonation, looking him up and down. “You’d fetch quite the price, seeing as you were trained really well and rather obedient,”

_No . . . _

“Blazikens are rare these days, so that’s a whole other factor to consider,”

Stop . . . 

“Muk, don’t kill the boy but I don’t want to see him awake for a long time,”

_ . . . I can’t lose . . . _

_ . . . someone else . . . _

_ . . . again!_

“Detroit Smash!”

And the world cut to black.

* * *

_Izuku stepped out into the lobby, sighing in relief. He had finished early, and could probably stop by Kacchan’s middle school and still make it to Aspen’s early. _

_“Did you see that boy?!” Izuku grimaced, and ducked his head down lower as he headed for the exit. But whispers followed him all the way to the door._

_“The nerve of a kid to come in here and make the rest of us look like fools!”_

_“Damn it, why did some brat have to show up?!”_

_“What if he actually got an internship and stole one of our spots?!”_

_“-obnoxious-”_

_“Arrogant little-”_

_“The little-”_

_He pushed out the door and shut them behind him, heaving. Izuku felt like he was getting fresh air after being suffocated. _

_Then he heard a voice. _

_“I-I don’t think I made it!” The voice seemed male and he was sobbing. Izuku peeked over the corner to see a man crouched in fetal position against the wall, a phone pressed to his ear. He paused for a moment, listening, before a new wave of tears streamed down his face. “I can’t-maybe I’m just not cut out for this! I just can’t take this anymore!”_

“I have gotten the sense that he had gone through the Registration Exam over and over again,” Izuku said softly, the image of a broken man imprinted in his mind. “He was tired, and was just about ready to give up on what sounded like his dream,”

“That sounds awful,” Aspen murmured. “But Midoriya, it’s not your fau-”

“But what if it is?!” Izuku cried out. “What if I’m the reason that man lost his dream?! What if I’m the reason anyone in that room lost a dream?! There are only so many spots so what if I stole someone’s?!”

“Your dreams are just as valid as anyone else’s,”

“I . . .” Izuku’s voice trailed off. “ . . . I just don’t know. And these people, they've probably been aiming to be a professor for years! And they've studied, but just because I'm younger, people pity-,” He cut himself off and started to panic. "Professor, I didn't mean any offense! I-"

“Midoriya, I didn’t choose you by rolling a dice,” Aspen met his eyes. “I didn’t spin a wheel and pick you. I picked you because you were smart and had a spark that none of the old geezers had in them. And you've poured so much effort and work into this. You're just as much of a candidate for certification as any of them,” 

“I just . . . “ _I don’t know if I deserve this. _

Izuku knew what he wanted to say but couldn’t find the voice to say it. 

She gave him an uneasy smile. “Why did you want to start wanting to be a Pokémon Professor in the first place?”

She was probably expecting an answer like “I wanted to research Pokémon” or “A Professor helped me out and I wanted to be that person for other people”. But the real answer was a lot less admirable and inspirational. The real answer was something he couldn’t say to Aspen. The real answer was that he was a coward. 

So he plastered on a fake smile and said the closest thing he could. “I guess I just wanted to make other people smile. But I just don't know if this is the right way for me to do that,” 

"Midoriya, you have three things that not a lot of people have," Aspen held up three fingers. "You have intelligence, which gives you a lot of good opportunities. And you're a good kid. You want to help people, and I'm completely confident that no matter what you choose to do, you'll excel at it," 

"And . . . third?"

"You have _time_," Aspen messed his curls up a little, which frankly didn't bother him because they were already messy as it was. "You don't need to decide your entire career path today. Focus on what you want to do and focus on thriving in that," She took a breath and gestured for him to follow. "Come on, I have something for you to work on," 

He followed her through familiar corridors, making twists and turns that were practically second nature. "Do you need someone to analyze Cheri and Rika's Auric data? I mean, there's bound to be a slight age difference but it shouldn't significantly sabotage the investigation. Do they have the same ability? How about nature? There has been a lot of research about how personality affects someone's Aura, so we have to know what variables we have to isolate and what variables what can attribute to their similar personalities while also considering their different backgrounds. Suzume is also an important factor in this equation . . ." 

Izuku eventually descended into mumbling and Aspen rolled her eyes. "Same old Midoriya," 

Without thinking, Izuku opened the door that was in front of him while still talking about equations, possible trends, experiments and- 

"Surprise!" Izuku almost stumbled backwards into Aspen, who threw her head back and laughed. Dozens of the people he had worked with, laughed with and talked with for over two year—they were all gathered here. The break room was decorated hastily with streamers and a couple of balloons. On a table, two cakes were placed. One with the words "Congratulations" on it with green icing and another with "Good Luck!" on it in red. 

"To celebrate, I figured we could have both a celebratory and a going-away party," She grinned. That day, Izuku laughed when Lettuce the Gulpin bullied Tanaki's Tranquill, not unlike how Fuyura and Tanaki bickered and teased. That day, Izuku gave Yuki and her Frillish numerous hugs and promised to call them. That day, Izuku gave Aspen a box of Eeveelution-themed macaroons that she had always wanted to try but never had the time to order. That day, Izuku snapped a photo of some of the most important people in his life. That day, Izuku smiled genuinely around the people he cared about. 

When something ends, something else always begins. And whether Izuku was ready for it or not, change was coming, and sooner than he expected.

* * *

Getting slapped awake was barely helping Katsuki’s mood, even if it was by the Number One Hero. 

When he was stirred awake, he had seen that the villain was unconscious with his hands bound. The Muk was trapped in a soda container strapped onto the Hero’s belt. And after gaping for a solid for seconds at All Might, Katsuki realized that he couldn’t leave, not just yet. 

Despite his . . . _personal opinions_ about All Might, he was still Katsuki’s goal. He was going to surpass All Might, no matter what happened. He was the Number One, the final boss, the finish line. 

So if anyone knew the answer to Katsuki’s question, it would be him. 

“Hey, wait!” Katsuki called out, struggling against the poison’s effects. Since he was freed early from the Muk, his body was slowly recovering, but he would still probably have to see Deku for an antidote or something. He staggered to his feet, and returned his Blaziken to his PokeBall. Detonation probably needed the rest after this whole mess happened. “All Might, I need to ask you something!”

The Pro-Hero didn’t say anything, instead picked up the villain’s limp body in one hand and held on to his Dragonite in the other. Katsuki remembered the early days when he had fawned over the moveset, speed and strength the Pokemon wielded. He would marvel at the hero, awestruck and dazed at his victories. 

Now, he knew better. 

“I have to turn these villains in now,” He nodded. “Thank you for your continued support!” And as Dragonite took to the skies, Katsuki saw his body move before he could even think about it. 

_Deku’s never going to let me live this down._

* * *

By the time Izuku left the lab with his final farewells, it was already late afternoon, from what he could tell, and the energy of the streets had died down. He glanced down at his watch. 

_Kacchan probably got there an hour ago and is probably still midway through a final battle_, Izuku decided, jogging down the street. _If I’m quick, I can probably catch the tail end of it and we can walk home together. _

It was standard procedure, Izuku thought. They always walked home together, despite how far they were from one another or how bad of a mood the other was in. 

“Hey, you!” He froze, whipping around to see a trio approach him in a formation he knew well. _Front one’s the leader, the other two are the lackeys_, he told himself, trying to calm himself down. _They’re just middle schoolers, the same age as me._

“Can I help you?” He tried to keep his voice level. Izuku made sure to lock eyes with the leader as a silent way of telling them Izuku wasn’t going to get pushed around. 

“Yes, actually,” The boy slung his arm around Izuku,  
causing him to freeze. “I was lucky I caught you, because earlier, we didn’t exactly get a chance to talk,”

Izuku realized who he was with sinking, heavy dread. “You’re the boy Kacchan was battling,” The boy scoffed and his grip around Izuku tightened. 

“_Kacchan,_” The boy hissed, and the familiar nickname sounded so _wrong_ in the bully’s mouth. “Just who exactly are you?”

“Midoriya Izuku,” Izuku responded levelly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to,” He shook free from the boy’s grip. But his path was swiftly blocked by the two lackeys. He clenched his fists. 

“Not so fast, Midoriya,” There was the pop of a PokeBall opening behind him. _Think_, Izuku told himself. _Think!_ “I believe we have some business as well,”

* * *

“Hey, kid, let go of me!” All Might tried to push him off but Katsuki gripped tighter. 

“Shut up, I’m gonna die!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. There was a pause. 

“Oh yeah,” Katsuki rolled his eyes. Somehow, this idiot was the top Pro-Trainer in the country. Eventually, Dragonite landed on a vacant rooftop, and a shaken Katsuki and an even more shaken All Might got both feet on solid ground again. 

All Might’s hands immediately went to his belt, where the soda bottle of Muk was still attached. He let out a sigh of relief and turned to Katsuki. “Now, kid, I get you wanted to talk but what you just did right there was dangerous,” 

“It was,” Katsuki shrugged. “But it was worth it. Now we get to talk,” All Might huffed a sigh but listened. _Now or never. _

“All Might, can-”

There was a hacking cough, a puff of smoke and Katsuki let out a scream that he would go to his grave saying he didn’t make.

* * *

“What’s this about?” Izuku’s voice was void of any emotions. “Enlighten me,”

The Glameow began to pace around Izuku, sharp claws gleaming. He was backing into an alleyway, getting slowly corralled into a corner out of the public eye. The lackeys flanked their leader with a Volbeat and Stoutland.

His mind raced, and hesitantly, Izuku decided out of the very little options he had, talking to the leader to stall was probably the best option. _Stall for what though? _He didn’t really expect anyone to peek into the alleyway and think anything of a group of boys on a Friday afternoon, probably up to some childish mischief. 

“You were the kid with Bakugou Katsuki,” The boy hummed, eyes flashing, “isn’t that right? His little lackey?”

Izuku snorted. “Kacchan? Have a lackey? I’m sorry, but not everyone’s a tyrant like you,” The leader’s eyes narrowed, but his demeanor shifted. Something less aggressive and a little more arrogant. 

“You know, all of you are the exact same,” He laughed, shaking his head slowly, “all too powerful and too important for anyone else, too stuck up on that throne of yours to even bother with anyone else,”

Izuku gritted his teeth at the sound of a throne. This conversation was getting a little too close to home. He took a steadying breath. “And so you try to knock down anyone higher than you, dragging down anyone you see is better than you,” 

“I’ve been trying to get Bakugou Katsuki’s attention for months now, but he wouldn’t even spare me a glance,” The bully spat. “He’s too high up for peasants like me. But then you come along, and he’s ready to give up a battle I _rightfully_ earned just because you said so!” 

“I don’t get your weird obsession with Kacchan,” Izuku admitted. “And to be honest, I really don’t want to,”

“Everyone at Aldera won’t shut up about the middle school battle ‘_prodigy_’ Bakugou Katsuki,” Spite outlined the bully’s face and his body was shaking. “It’s always about him and nothing else, and he’s been soaking it all up and now he’s got a big-head about it! He thinks he can go to U.A!”

“That’s because he can,” Izuku said quietly, emerald eyes meeting the bully’s. _I’ve dealt with worse people than you._ “And he will,”

* * *

“What the Hell,” Katsuki repeated for what had got to have been the sixth time. “What the Hell.”

All Might, skeleton edition, winced at his words. “A few years ago, I sustained an injury from a strong foe. I was able to defeat him, but at the cost of several of my internal organs and respiratory system. Because of this injury, I am forced to take the form you see before you,” All Might said. “And I can only maintain my Hero Form for three hours every day. Dragonite can no longer battle for more than a few hours as well,”

Katsuki digested this, slowly piecing together that the man before him was not the same invincible figure in the posters in his room. He had known that fact, somewhere, but seeing him like _this_ really hammered home reality. The wind rustled and All Might’s shirt shifted, revealing the horrific scar on his stomach once more. 

Katsuki breathed deeply. “All Might, I need to ask you a question,”

The Number One Hero sighed, and Katsuki was shocked by just how tired he sounded. It made sense, especially after he had explained his medical condition, but fatigue was never something Katsuki associated with the hero. All Might never lost. It was the single truth that Katsuki kept in his mind. Seeing his injury and his True Form made Katsuki second-guess whether All Might really won that day. 

“Kid, go ahead,” He returned Dragonite to his PokeBall and grabbed the unconscious villain by the scruff of his shirt. “Make it quick,”

_No going back now._ This would determine it. The Number One Hero would lay judgement on him, and Katsuki _needed_ to know, after years of doubting and second-guessing. _I need to know the truth. _

“I want to go to U.A and become a Pro-Trainer, one to rival your skills,” Katsuki took a breath, trying to steady himself. He had rehearsed this a million different times in his mind though he never knew who to tell it to.

Deku or Auntie Inko weren’t possible options and he didn’t feel like admitting any of this to his parents. He had considered talking to Aldera’s counselor, but unfortunately, she looked at Katsuki like most people did; she placed him on too high of a pedestal, expected so much from him that she didn't think he would ever need help. So even if this situation with All Might wasn’t ideal, oddly enough, it was the best circumstance he could think of. 

“But a while back, I made a mistake. I . . . I did something that can only be described as villainous. And . . . a lot of people got hurt by what I did,” Katsuki’s voice shook, and he looked at his trembling hands. In the back of his mind, he could hear the desperate sobs replaying over and over again. “People to this day still . . . they’re still scarred,” 

“So, my question for you, All Might,” Katsuki met All Might’s eyes. “Even though I was a villain then, can I still become a hero?”

There was silence, and Katsuki waited because he _had_ to. 

“Kid,” The word sounded broken and small, nothing like his hero sounded like. Nothing like what _All Might_ was supposed to sound like. “Some things can’t be forgiven or healed by time or . . . ever. Some acts of hurting people are unforgivable, even for a hero,” 

Katsuki was stunned silent. Sure, somewhere he had considered the possibility . . . But hearing it out loud . . . and from All Might . . .

“Is that . . . is that a no then?” 

He pushed open the door and shot a look over his shoulder. Katsuki couldn’t read the expression that haunted All Might’s face. “Kid . . . sometimes, you just have to be realistic,” 

Long after All Might had disappeared down to the police station, Katsuki would drop to his knees. No emotion would wash over him, no intense misery or desolation. Not burning rage. But . . . hollow emptiness. Listlessness. Lost. 

For the first time in his life, Katsuki genuinely considered what he would do with his life if he couldn’t be a Pro-Trainer.

* * *

“Enough of this,” The bully growled, any traces of his faux smile gone. “Sango, Jin, this is my fight,”

After a moment of hesitation, both of them withdrew their Pokémon. He’s already been in a battle today and he doesn’t want help, Izuku thought. _His image had been wrecked by Kacchan, so he’s trying to get even with me. He’s either desperate, reckless or crazy._ He paused. _Or all of the above._

“Come on out and fight me,” The bully said. Izuku took a step back. He could run through the other end of the alleyway, seeing as all three of them were on one side. Izuku was fast, maybe just fast enough to lose them down a few blocks. 

_I could try_, Izuku thought as he took a step back. 

“What? Is Bakugou Katsuki friends with a coward?” The bully taunted. Regardless, he took another step backwards. “So you’re just a weakling? Is that it?” He slowly realized that his taunts had little effect, and switched gears.

“So you just don’t have time for a battle because you’re too good,” This caught Izuku off guard for a second, causing his retreat to falter. “You have too strong of a Pokémon to battle someone like me. Too strong to waste your time on me, isn’t that right?”

Despite himself, his blood began to boil. Why was such a small comment getting under his skin that this? _Calm down_, he told himself firmly. _He’s trying to make you angry so that you play his little game. You’re beyond that._

“Such a strong Pokémon and you won’t even show it to me,” The bully said, and Izuku wanted to tell him how wrong he was. How wrong he was about Kacchan. And how wrong he was about Izuku. “Come on, you can let me just see it. It’s better to have no Pokémon than to keep it completely to yourself?”

Izuku decided to let the empty silence speak for itself. The boy glanced at Izuku’s hip and his eyes widened as he realized Izuku didn’t have the standard belt that everyone else in the world had, the one that held a person’s PokeBall. 

“Wait . . . you’re a Quirkless, aren’t you?”

One of the boys, either Sango or Jin, gaped. “No way, that's an urban legend. No one just _doesn’t_ have a Pokémon. That’s literally impossible,”

But the bully just laughed cruelly, and it echoed harshly in Izuku’s ears. “But here he is, the living proof of just how pathetic someone can be! You know how people came up with the term Quirkless, right?! People without anything special about them, the poor suckers in society who have no future,” His eyes seemed to glow in the dark alleyway. “Nothing important or interesting about them. They were Quirkless,”

And for a second, Izuku felt like he was stepping into the past. _You know, if you read Izuku a different way, it spells Deku! Useless Deku! Makes sense!_

It had been back when they had first met and were visiting the forest together. Kacchan had asked him what Pokémon he had and Izuku had said that he didn’t have one. He shivered despite himself. 

“I wonder why Bakugou even spends time around you,” The bully remarked coldly. “I guess he’s more of an idiot than I thought,”

One of the lackeys screamed shrilly and pointed at something behind him. Izuku swiveled around as the trio dashed out of the alleyway. He tried to do the same but something caught his leg.

“Quirkless, huh? It’s easy to have a hostage who can’t fight back,”

* * *

Toshinori had reverted back to his Hero Form the second the villain started to stir. He wasn’t about to jeopardize his identity a second time for the day.

Without really meaning to, his thoughts drifted back to the blond boy who had clung to him before he could escape. He had spirit, Toshinori would give him that much. 

And his question . . . Toshinori wouldn’t have answered it any other way. He couldn’t have. 

He was startled out of his thoughts by a cold chuckle. “I didn’t know the Number One was in town today,” Toshinori tightened his grip around the man’s collar and doubled checked that the criminal’s hands were still cuffed. “Just my luck to run into the Top Trainer in Japan, huh?”

“I’m turning you into the police at this moment,” He started in a very matter-of-fact tone. “You should dedicate your time behind bars to reflect on your actions,”

“Yeah, yeah,” The villain smirked. “but the heroes won’t always be on top for long. Sooner or later, someone’s going to shatter this peace and you won’t be able to put the shards together again,”

Toshinori was suddenly very aware of his limited time. He walked a bit faster down the block. The villain misunderstood his unease and cackled. 

“There’s been a stirring in the underground. People are getting excited again. Something big's going to happen, All Might, and all of us are waiting for it,”

He could feel the blood clawing its way up his throat. 

“And believe me when I say this,” 

_Come on!_

“I’ll smile while society crumples to the ground,” 

Not a moment too soon, he reached the police station and after very, very hastily giving a statement, he bolted behind the building into an alleyway, heaving as his True Form surfaced.

“Damn it,” He murmured to himself. Dragonite’s PokeBall weighed heavy on his hip, a reminder to go see Chiyo one of these days.

And a few minutes after he left the alleyway, Hell broke loose.

* * *

Katsuki trudged down the sidewalk, hands jammed in the stupid jacket Deku had given him. It was still a little damp from his wet clothes earlier, but Katsuki really didn’t have the heart to care.

_So what do I do now?_ Despite the amount of time he spent asking himself, over and over, he still didn’t have an answer. 

And as he continued to walk down the street, he began to notice something was wrong. There was a crowd spilling out of the usually pretty vacant shopping district. Sure, it had business and all, but it had never come to a point where people were massed so largely together.

And then he heard voices.

“I’m a Fairy-type specialist, don’t look at me!”

“I’m a long-range fighter, so it’s a lot harder for me to attack without hitting the hostage!”

“I’m busy with crowd control!”

“I had three other battles today, so my Sandslash can’t fight!”

Katsuki turned to see what the scenario was and his heart stopped. _No. Nononono, not now. _

“Give me the cash or the boy dies!” The villain from earlier cried out in front of the large crowd. “Time’s ticking, heroes!”

_How did Deku get caught in all of this?_ Katsuki thought. There his best friend was, limp in the Muk’s sludge. His eyes were barely open, the poison already seeping into his skin. _What the Hell are the Pros just standing here? And how did this guy escape All Might?_

A thought came to mind, and Katsuki hated it. _He_ had distracted the Number One, and he was already low on his time limit. _All Might was probably already in a rush, so when he was screwing on the bottle or handcuffing the criminal, he made a mistake. Or maybe the villain was able to pick the cuffs and All Might didn't-_

“Well?!” The criminal cried. “Cash or the boy dies!” The crowd stills, and the heroes start to mutter among themselves again. No one moves. His body was frozen, eyes wide in blank horror. 

History repeats itself. 

Katsuki won’t forget what happened next. For a second, Izuku’s eyes flicker open just enough so that there’s some semblance of clarity. 

_Thump. _

His emerald meets Katsuki’s scarlet, and just like that, they’re kids again. 

_Thump. _

Alone. 

_Thump. Thump. Thump. _

In the dark. 

_To Hell with what All Might thinks. _

By the time he realizes what he’s doing, Katsuki was already pushing through the crowd and tearing down the pavement. Somewhere along the line, he had sent out Blaziken, who was now right by his side. But he wasn’t thinking, his brain fixated on one, single thought; _I’m going to save Deku. _

“Deku!” He cried, stopping to face down the villain. He smiled grimly, and Katsuki clenched his fists. “Let him go,”

The villain cackled, before his face darkened. “Make me,” Izuku’s eyes were hazy now, but he seemed conscious enough to vaguely understand what was happening. He blinked hazily, squinting to try to make out what was happening. 

_I am here_, Katsuki tried to say through a tight grin across his face. But aloud, he said, “Detonation, _Brick Break_!”

Nodding, the Blaziken dashed after the Muk, who was restraining Deku, but that also meant its movements were limited. With a speed that the Muk couldn’t follow, Detonation landed a sharp jab from behind, careful not to strike Deku. The sludge Pokemon recoiled, and Deku surfaced for a brief second. 

Katsuki bolted towards his best friend, taking an arm and yanking him out of the sludge, slowly but surely. 

“Kac . . .” Deku’s eyes were dropping shut, and Katsuki took that as a sign to pull even harder while Detonation distracted the Muk. 

A hand gripped his forearm and he saw the villain’s eyes flaring. Without hesitation, Katsuki swung his knee forward, straight into the villain's groin. The villain let go with a gasp of pain, and he was just able to pull Deku free. 

He was unconscious, limp in Katsuki’s arms, but still breathing. While he maneuvered the boy onto his back, Katsuki yelled out, “_Flamethrower_!” 

The Muk disappeared behind the inferno that Detonation had created. But after the flames faded, the Muk overall unscathed, tired but still more than able to fight. 

_Damn it_. Katsuki took a look at his partner and realized what he had done. Because of the risk of hurting Deku, they hadn’t been able to use any fire type moves or moves too powerful. That had restricted their options, leaving them to have to punch the Muk to distract it. However, because of the stupid Poison Touch ability, Detonation’s movements were becoming sluggish. 

“Enough fun,” The villain glared daggers at Katsuki, probably for both freeing his hostage and kneeing him in the nuts. “Let’s finish this,”

The Pokemon cried out in agreement, and Katsuki grimaced. But suddenly, he heard a very familiar battle cry sound throughout the block, one that had been present in his childhood for as long as he could remember. 

_“DETROIT SMASH!”_

* * *

“That was reckless,”

“What was I supposed to do? Stand around and watch you die like the rest of the Pros?” Kacchan glared at the Pro-Trainers still lingering out. Some averted their gaze guilitly while others shrunk back. “Hell no,”

“Well, what would have happened if you died trying to make sure I didn’t died?” Izuku insisted, shaking his head. “Then both of us would be dead,”

There was a moment of silence while the two of them slowly digested what had just happened. The adrenaline from the fight was fading. They were sitting at the back of an ambulance, with the paramedics checking over both of them. Izuku was nibbling on a Pecha Berry he had gotten from his messenger bag, something Kacchan often called a portable PokeCenter. It was a gift from Aspen when he had first started interning with her, and he always kept supplies inside, just in case he found an injured Pokemon or the result of a play battle that got too rough. 

“But Kacchan,” Deku said, flushing when he realized he hadn’t said this yet. “Thank you,”

His best friend nodded. “Don’t mention it,”

And when the paramedics sent them off with a stern scolding not to get into anymore trouble (Izuku had to gently remind Kacchan under his breath _not_ to say anything back, though he seemed to have _plenty_ of words to say to the Pros, paramedics and basically anyone nearby), the two began their walk home. The sun was setting, pink and gold hues lighting up the dark sky. 

They had fallen into comfortable silence, both tired from the day’s eventfulness. They made small talk about nothing, mostly centered around Izuku’s farewell party and his run-in with who he now knew as Katayami. But when Izuku asked about Kacchan’s day, he seemed rather flippant and dismissive. Izuku wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but it was bothering Kacchan to a certain degree that made Izuku worry. But if Kacchan didn’t want to talk about it, Izuku wouldn’t pry. Kacchan would talk when he was ready, and he could wait for that if he needed to. 

After all, that’s what friends were for.

* * *

Toshinori watched them from afar, enough to hear their voices but not quite their words. He kept just out of their line of vision, and watched the two of them part ways.

He hesitated. _The boy would make a great successor_, Toshinori thought to himself. _He acted selflessly, despite what I said to him. He would make a fine hero._

But even as he thought through it all, he couldn’t help but hesitate. _“A few years ago, like . . . a while back, I made a mistake. I . . . I did something that can only be described as villainous. And . . . a lot of people got hurt by what I did,”_

Passing down One For All was not a small, trivial decision. Not only did it pass down one of the most powerful abilities in the world to someone else, but it weakened All Might until his time was done. Once he did this, the Symbol of Peace was something incredibly fragile, a balancing act he had to maintain in order to keep the name All Might alive. 

After watching the two boys disappear, Toshinori decided he would wait. He honestly doubted that it would be the last he would see of him, because at the very least, he would see him at the Entrance Exam for U.A. 

But there was still plenty of time, or, at least that’s what Toshinori told himself was he turned and walked home. But the boy remained in his thoughts long after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who has a [Tumblr](https://themiraclesinwords.tumblr.com/)? It's blank so far, but hopefully, I'll start putting chapter updates, bonus content (maybe) and if you want, feel free to ask me a question about . . . idk. 
> 
> Anyways, chapter 3 is basically done so I'll be ready to post that soon. As usual, thanks for reading. 
> 
> M.W.


	3. Three Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Panic Attack

“Swoobat is unable to battle!” The referee called. “Bakugou and Blaziken are the winners!”

Katsuki could hear the shock, disappointment and confusion among the spectators watching from above from the battlefield. There were more people in the crowd today, most likely because it was the weekend. 

“Swoobat is a Psychic and Flying type, which means it had a double type advantage and he still lost!”

“Just who is this kid?!”

“Someone’s got to dethrone this guy, seriously, like what number is he on now?”

“I’ve been here since this morning, and so far, he’s won all eight of his battles,” 

Katsuki glanced at Detonation, who was obviously pretty beaten up from the fight. Despite the way he held himself, Katsuki was relieved it was over. They had just barely scraped by using _Flamethrower_ to keep the Swoobat distracted and building power with _Work Up_ to gain just enough power for a surprise attack _Shadow Claw_. The unexpected move was the labor of months of practice, numerous YouTube tutorials online, Deku’s analytic advice and sheer determination, but it was worth it. 

Katsuki finally let himself breathe for the first time since the beginning of the match.

Detonation had endured numerous _Air Cutters_, and was just barely strong enough to land the final blow. _I was too brash when I tried to close in_, Katsuki reflected as he returned Detonation to his PokeBall. Despite his plain dislike being of in it, Katsuki wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it all the way down the hall to the clinic. _I was relying too much on the chance that the Swoobat was going to be slower than us in that second. If the Trainer had been just a little more aware, a single Psychic would have ended us. _

Even after he left the battlefield, he could still hear the residual whispering and gossip about him. But seeing as he had managed to survive three years at Aldera, it was nothing. 

He gripped the PokeBall tightly. _I’ll show him. I’ll show him I can become a hero._

* * *

“Izuku?” His mom entered his bedroom, dressed in casual clothes. There was a gentle smile on her face. “I’m going out for lunch with a friend, so I’ll be out for an hour or two,”

“Right, have fun!” He called and he heard the click of the door behind her. After a few minutes, he closed his notebook with a sigh. He had managed to finish several entries, the result of non-stop work since 6 a.m. 

Toxapex, the Brutal Star Pokemon. #748. Is a Poison/Water type. Evolves from Mareanie. 

He had finished the majority of the information the night before; a quick analysis of the type disadvantages and advantages, overall battle strategies, notable Trainers, behavioral patterns, abilities, rarity, biology, etc. Now all he had to do was a quick sketch of the Pokémon, but that could wait for another time.

He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a few moments. Izuku knew most of the information by heart, the Pokédex ingrained into his mind as much as his own name. But writing entries down calmed him down, giving his brain a single task to focus all of his energy on. But even for him, journaling entry after entry slowly began to lose its appeal as he burned out.

_What do I do now? _

Kacchan was out, studying apparently for a final exam before summer break (though Izuku wasn’t sure how much he believed that). He considered going to Aspen’s, but the lab was barren so he decided against it. Around half of Aspen’s team had left with her to travel internationally for a research mission and seeing as it was a weekend, most of the other staff were probably at home, enjoying their day off. All of the strays either at a shelter or with one of the research assistants. And with Mom out, he was officially alone with his thoughts.

Recording Pokémon entries could only occupy him for so long, seeing as he was relatively close to the edge of the known PokeDex. He glanced over at his bookshelf, which was overflowing with studies on Auric Bonds between Pokémon and their Trainers (most of which were recommended by Aspen and some even gifts from the professor or her team) or regional compilations of Pokémon. Along the third and highest shelf, there were his notebooks, years of work and analysis.

While his eyes scanned the neat row, Izuku’s eyes caught the dark stain along the spine of one of his journals. 

Izuku froze. 

He forced himself to keep his breath steady.

_No, this isn’t the time_. Izuku could feel his breathing speeding up as he gasped for breath. His fingertips were going numb and the room began to spin, rocking back and forth.

_No. Nonono stop._

_Why couldn’t he breath?!_ What was stopping him from breathing? A cold, bitter laugh echoed throughout his mind. He was back with the sludge villain and he couldn’t breathe. Filthy, horrible poison was forcing itself into his throat-

Stop it. Stop it. What was he supposed to do? But what could he do? _Come on, Izuku, think. Think. Think!_

But he couldn’t. The world was spinning now and his chest felt like it was about to burst-

_Think. Think. Think!_

He was burning up, his skin itching painfully and he wanted out. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t breath. His insides were searing hot, burning up from inside of him. Izuku’s throat was closing up, tightening painfully, choking him—

Suddenly, he was chained against a cold wall, shivering and shaking and dizzy. The metal around his wrist seared like someone was burning him. Something was welling up in his chest, swelling larger and larger and making it harder and harder to breath. From the darkness, he tried to call for help but no one came. 

No one ever did . . . 

_No, no, no, I can’t die. I can’t! But I’m going to and I can’t stop it. Someone stop it! I’m going to die! I won’t be able to see mom again, or Kacchan, or Aspen—_

_“Deep breaths,”_ He could hear the professor whisper. _“That’s all you need to worry about right now,”_ And if he tried to protest, she’d breathe with him, slowly and fully. 

_ _“In . . . out,” _ _

_ _“Just focus on breathing,”_ _

Eventually, he managed to come to a point where he knew where he was. At some point, he had slipped off his chair and onto the ground, which would explain his throbbing knees and sore shoulder. Slowly, Izuku got to his feet, uncomfortably shifting in his sweat-soaked clothes. 

_I have to get out of the house,_ Izuku decided. If writing in his journal didn’t help, being around other people might. Just to remind himself that he wasn’t alone. Just to remind himself where he wasn’t. 

After peeling off his pajamas and shakily donning fresh clothes, Izuku grabbed his messenger bag and tucked his phone safely inside one of its many pockets. Just a casual walk to clear my head, Izuku promised himself as he locked the door behind him. Nice and easy. 

* * *

Toshinori knew he had a large fan base, one that spanned the globe easily. Many of those fans were kids, young children that were inspired by his lead. He liked to think it meant that there was a larger generation of heroes that will follow his generation, who will inspire the ones after them. It was a beautiful cycle that he loved being a part of. 

However, it also meant that he had to stop swearing so much during battles. 

Just as he ducked into a nearby alleyway, he felt warm blood rising in his throat. It was hard enough to dodge the police, but in addition to the medics on site who had insisted on looking him over and the reporters who seemed to swarm him everywhere, he had barely made it out. Only with his years of experience did he manage to flee just in time. 

Despite himself, Toshinori had pushed his time limit again. There had been a robbery downtown, and he figured that with the half an hour he had remaining, he could stop whatever criminal was there in a few short minutes. 

And then . . . complications began to arise. First of all, his time limit had been rather unpredictable since he had thoroughly overexerted his three hours to save the boy from the sludge villain. Of course, it wasn’t a decision he regretted making, but the past few days afterwards, his time limit was always at least ten minutes shorter than normal. Toshinori knew that made sense unfortunately, but his already weak stamina couldn’t be running out this early. Especially without picking a successor for One For All. 

To make matters worse, the villain he had faced not only was an especially experienced and talented Trainer, but had an Aurorus. An Arurorus, a Rock and Ice type against his Dragon and Flying type. Not only was Ice type moves dually effective against Dragonite, there was the additional advantage of Rock types trumping Flying types. In summary, the battle was way closer than Toshinori would have liked. If Dragonite had taken one more _Aurora Beam_, or if Dragonite hadn’t dodged _Rock Tomb_ at the last minute . . . 

Toshinori feared how the public would have reacted if the Symbol of Peace staggered at an everyday villain. Or worse, how the villains would react if they discovered his True Form or Dragonite’s weak constitution. 

He stumbled into a park bench, breathing heavily while trying to steady his woozy vision. He needed to get Dragonite to the PokeCenter, or at least to U.A so Chiyo could heal the many injuries Dragonite had sustained (even with the scolding, it was better than nothing). But both were on the other end of the city, and fatigue was catching up to Toshinori and his battered body. 

_I could get a taxi,_ he thought to himself. _But I don’t exactly have cash on me. I could walk but . . ._ He sighed. Who was he kidding? There was no way he could make it to U.A. in his condition. 

“Are you All Might?” Toshinori’s heart clenched tightly as his head snapped upwards to see the boy from the sludge villain attack. He had emerald eyes and messy dark green hair that jutted out of his hood in tufts. He had an oddly bulky messenger bag by his side. 

_ _ _There was no way he knew, unless he managed to figure it out, Toshinori’s mind raced, studying the boy fearfully. _But how? Maybe it was after the slime villain attack or maybe he was watching our battle and followed me here? No, I made sure I wasn’t followed. Maybe he had a Pokemon with Teleport? What to do, what to do?!__ _ _

_ _ _“Hey, calm down,” The boy sat down next to Toshinori on the bench. He didn’t seem to have any ill intent that Toshinori could pick out. “Sorry to startle you,”_ _ _

_ _ _“Right,” Toshinori gave the boy a weak smile. “Sorry, I’m a little jumpy,”_ _ _

_ _ _The boy nodded. “You still haven’t answered my first question; are you alright?” Toshinori stifled a sigh of relief. Alright, not All Might. Just his paranoia playing tricks on him._ _ _

_ _ _“I’m fine, thank you,” Toshinori said, “I just need to make my way towards the Pokemon Center and everything will be okay,”_ _ _

_ _ _The boy silently studied Toshinori from top to bottom, shaking his head slowly as he did so. Toshinori couldn’t quite tell what was going through the boy’s mind, but after a few moments, he set his messenger bag onto the ground and unzipped it. “It’s a really long walk,” He said, more to himself than to the Pro-Trainer. “And if you need medical care, I can help,”_ _ _

_ _ _Toshinori’s eyes widened. “R-really?”_ _ _

_ _ _“I’m an intern at the Pokemon research lab a block down from here,” He said, still rummaging through his messenger bag. Briefly, he flashed an ID card at him, verifying his position as an intern. Toshinori was able to make out the name Midoriya Izuku before the card disappeared back into his bag. “I’m not a certified professional, but I’m probably a better choice than you walking all the way there,”_ _ _

_ _ _He made Toshinori sound like something fragile, as if he would crumple at the slightest breeze. And despite the fact that it was against his conduct as the Symbol of Peace, just this once, maybe he would get a little help from a civilian. _ _ _

_ _ _Twice now, Toshinori corrected himself as the boy handed a clean cloth to him. “Apply pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding,” He began to rummage through his oddly bulky messenger bag. _ _ _

_ _ _“How did you know my Pokemon was bleeding?” He had asked. “He’s not even out of the PokeBall yet,”_ _ _

_ _ _Midoriya shook his head slowly. “Not your Pokemon, you,” He pointed to Toshinori’s forehead, where he had apparently gotten cut from a stray rock from _Rock Tomb. __ _ _

_ _ __First it was the boy from the rooftop and now this_, Toshinori thought numbly as the boy procured a pair of gloves from his bag. _I really am losing my touch if All Might has to get rescued constantly like this. __ _ _

_ _ _“Can I see your Pokemon?” He asked offhandedly as he began to procure a series of bottles and boxes from his bag. _ _ _

_ _ _Toshinori reached for his PokeBall, before hesitating. It was true that this boy could help, and he seemed like he knew what he was doing. However, Dragonites weren’t exactly Lillipups or Bidoofs. As far as the media knew (and Toshinori himself, for that matter), the only Dragonite the world knew of was All Might’s. By revealing his Pokemon to the boy, he risked exposing his identity. _ _ _

_ _ _But Dragonite’s condition wasn’t something Toshinori was going to gamble with. He wasn’t sure how much more his partner could wait, especially with his already weakened health._ _ _

_ _ _“Umm,” Toshinori started, “is there any place a bit more private you could treat him? He’s . . .” Toshinori struggled for the words, but Midoriya nodded, regardless of the mystery. He began to pack his items back up with practiced diligence and within a minute, the items were back neatly in his messenger bag. _ _ _

_ _ _“If you don’t mind walking a block, we could head to the lab,” The boy nodded briskly. “If you’re up for it,”_ _ _

_ _ _Toshinori nodded, and the two of them headed off towards the lab. He knew about it, of course, seeing as it was the only research facility in Mustafu completely dedicated to Pokemon research. It was led by Professor Aspen, who specialized in Auric studies, if he recalled it correctly. Toshinori had always tried to keep himself current in that field of science because of how relevant it was to One For All. Aura had never been thoroughly researched like it was today, the topic remaining in legends or being dismissed quickly from scientific communities across the country. Until recently, that is._ _ _

_ _ _“What happened?” Midoriya asked, breaking the silence. Why didn’t you go to the paramedics if you were in an accident?”_ _ _

_Improvise. Improvise. Improvise._ “Well, you see, I was running away from a villain near the shopping district and I got caught in some of the chaos. For my Pokemon, however, the injuries were more severe. And seeing as the ambulances were all full, I assumed that it would be quicker to just go to the PokeCenter myself,” 

_ _ _Midoriya nodded. “Right, a bank robbery. I remember seeing that Trainer news on my phone,”_ _ _

_ _ _Toshinori let himself smile briefly. “So, are you a fan of Pro-Trainers?” It was meant to be a half-hearted gesture to ease the atmosphere. He expected an excited reply, or at least a response with some energy in it. But he got the exact opposite. _ _ _

_ _ _“I . . . um,” Midoriya averted his eyes in favor of looking at the concrete. “It’s complicated,”_ _ _

* * *

_ _ _Izuku didn’t want to go into this right now. In fact, he hated talking about Trainers in general, just because of the prying and pushing everyone would do when they heard that he didn’t like Trainers. It was always “How can you not want to be like them?” or “But they save us!” or some other disbelieving exclaim. And some days, he considered lying and saying that yeah, Trainers were great, but it hurt too much. _ _ _

_ _ _The man in the park (who introduced himself as Yagi Toshinori a little after the awkward pause in their conversation) had gotten Izuku’s attention just because of how peculiar the man was. He was gaunt like a skeleton, was unhealthily skinny and looked very much like he would fall over if someone so much as poked his shoulder. And when Izuku had looked closer, he began to notice that Yagi had a thin cut along his forehead and a bruise already forming on his right cheekbone. _ _ _

_ _ _One thing led to another, and soon, Izuku was unlocking the door of the lab with his spare key. The second he pushed open the glass door, he was greeted with the familiar scent of coffee and fresh paper. He flipped on the light switch, and slowly, the facility flickered to life. _ _ _

_ _ _He guided Yagi to the infirmary, a white room with multiple, different-sized cots that were stacked against the wall neatly. After pulling up a chair for Yagi, Izuku managed to catch his breath for a little bit. “So, this Pokemon of yours?”_ _ _

_ _ _Yagi nodded, face grim. “I . . . thank you, for all that you’ve done for me already. But what you see here is completely confidential information,”_ _ _

_ _ _Izuku nodded, wondering what could be so important that it was worth postponing his treatment. “Right, I understand,”_ _ _

_ _ _With a pop, there was a flash of white light and a Pokemon materialized in front of him. Izuku’s breath got jammed in his throat. _ _ _

_ _ _“_Dragonite_,” Izuku breathed, eyes going wide. It was indeed hurt, bleeding from several places and one of its wings were bent at an odd angle. The second it was released, it stumbled and just barely fell onto the large cot Izuku had prepared. _ _ _

_ _ _Suddenly, Izuku felt his mind flicker as he was slowly getting dragged into the past. _ _ _

_Fire. . . _

_Pain . . . _

_Izuku needed to get out of here but he couldn’t. The building was collapsing, debris and dust raining on top of him. But Izuku could not leave yet. He needed to—_

_ _ _“My boy?” Yagi places a hand on Izuku's shoulder, causing him to jump. “Is everything alright?”_ _ _

_ _ _Izuku took a long, deep breath before nodding. If Izuku could help someone, then he had to do everything in his power to do so. Act now, think later. _ _ _

_ _ _He surveyed the different scraps that littered the Pokémon’s body and disinfected accordingly. He applied an Ice Heal where there seemed to be frostbite. Overall, standard procedure for an injured Pokemon. While having the Dragonite slowly chew on a Sitrus berry to restore some strength, Izuku glanced over at the Pokemon’s wing. _ _ _

_ _ _Izuku definitely knew that it was broken and must have been extremely painful. The closest Izuku had ever gotten to treating a broken wing was assisting in treating a Swellow’s carpal injury, and that was months ago. And seeing as Dragonites were exceedingly rare, not much was known about its physiology or anatomy. Which meant Izuku was on his own. _ _ _

_ _ _Taking a deep breath, he worked on disinfecting bloodied edges of the bent wing. “I’m sorry,” Izuku murmured as he watched the Dragonite wince in pain. It had been impassive to its overall treatment so far, but its wing seemed to be the worst of it all. “Almost done,” _ _ _

_ _ _He felt as though he was talking to a child rather than a ferocious beast from legends. From there, he worked on a temporary splint until Yagi could get his partner proper medical help. He taped the bone gently, going through the familiar motions Aspen had taught him. Once he was partially satisfied with his work, he started to work on securing the wing to Dragonite’s torso, treating it almost like a Pidgey. It was an awkward job, seeing as its wings tiny compared to its bulking frame, but he made it work. _ _ _

_ _ _All the while, Izuku tried to ignore Yagi’s piercing gaze from behind him. The man was watching him intensely, paranoid that Izuku was going to make a mistake or injure his partner further. It was a natural concern, seeing as they had just met, and Izuku was too much of a novice in the medical field to take offense at Yagi’s skepticism. _ _ _

_ _ _“I think that should be it,” He huffed a sigh of relief as he looked Dragonite over. Nothing seemed to be unattended to and, oddly enough, it was probably his best work yet. “A bit harder than trying to treat a Sentret,” He shakily joked. _ _ _

_ _ _“I would suppose,” Yagi said, nodding approvingly. He turned to Izuku with a smile on his face. “Thank you, my boy, sincerely.” _ _ _

_ _ _“I did what I could,” Izuku murmured humbly. “Now, what happened?” Now that he was finally able to digest the situation, everything was feeling . . . off. A Dragonite, one of the rarest Pokemon the world’s ever seen, couldn’t have been injured by idly being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. In fact, the only way Dragonite could have been hurt logically was that it got too close to the battle, which usually happens among large crowds. But how could no one notice such a large, bulky frame?_ _ _

_ _ _“It’s . . . complicated,” Yagi simply answered, re-using Izuku’s previous words. And Izuku respected that and kept his mouth shut. There was a long pause and Izuku couldn’t help but stare at Yagi, a mysterious man who seemed like he meant well but obviously had secrets. His hands were folded in his lap, and he kept his eyes glued to them. _ _ _

_ _ _Almost as an instinct, Izuku began to analyze the man’s face, taking note of how his eyes shifted nervously from side to side, as if waiting for something. He was on the older side, but seeing him this nervous made him look older, more worn out. His shoulders were slumped forward, collapsing in what seemed oddly enough like . . . defeat. _ _ _

_ _ _“Are you okay?” Yagi’s eyes widened, guilt and shock painted all over his face. After a moment, his expression softened, a sad smile playing at his lips. _ _ _

_ _ _“I’m that obvious,” He hummed, half-disappointed, half-amused. “Could I ask you for your insight on something, young Midoriya?” _ _ _

_ _ _Izuku shrugged, gathering back his medical equipment. “I don’t see why not. Medical advice?”_ _ _

_ _ _“No,” Yagi shifted around uncomfortably. “I . . . is it okay to forgive someone for a mistake they made?”_ _ _

* * *

_ _ _Toshinori watched the boy grow still. _ _ _

_ _ _“Do they regret what they did?” He paused, and considered the boy’s haunted face. _ _ _

_ _ _“Yes,” Toshinori said. “But even if they did, wouldn’t it be disrespectful to the people they hurt?” He clenched his fists tightly. “To act as though nothing had happened—”_ _ _

_ _ _“You’re wrong,” Midoriya’s voice was firm, yet vulnerable at the same time. “A person can’t keep blaming themselves for something that they regret. It undermines all of the energy the person took to change and get better. They can’t control what they did back then but they can control how they choose to view it and adapt! You should regard a person based on their growth, not on their mistakes!” _ _ _

_ _ _Toshinori was caught off guard by how passionate Midoriya sounded. He seemed to be a quieter boy, definitely on the shyer side. Toshinori was surprised by the sudden exclamation of emotions. And judging by the shocked look on his face, so was Midoriya. His face immediately flushed a dark shade of garnet red. _ _ _

_ _ _“I-I’m sorry,” He turned away from Toshinori, rubbing his neck. _ _ _

_ _ _“Passion is nothing to be ashamed of, my boy,” Toshinori smiled weakly at the boy. “It gives us a reason to live our lives to the fullest,” _ _ _

_ _ _After a few minutes of silence while Midoriya cleaned up the infirmary and packed his medical bag (it really was a peculiarly bulky bag), Toshinori returned his partner to his PokeBall and secured it to his belt. They walked awkwardly to the exit. _ _ _

_ _ _“Thank you so much,” Toshinori said as Midoriya locked up the lab. “You really saved us,” He held out his hand. _ _ _

_ _ _“It was nothing,” Midoriya nodded and gave a small, lopsided smile. “‘It’s the duty of a Professor to assist, educate and inspire’, or at least, that’s what Professor Aspen says,” Midoriya shook his hand. _ _ _

_ _ _But when he did, something caught Toshinori’s eye. When they shook, the sleeve of Midoriya’s shirt slid upwards, revealing something black around his arm. It was sleek and virtually undetectable with his hoodie on. _ _ _

_ _ _“Nice watch,” He mentioned offhandedly. Midoriya’s face darkened immediately, and he violently shoved his sleeve over his wrist and stuffed his hand in his hoodie pocket for good measure. Toshinori couldn’t meet his eyes. _ _ _

_ _ _“It was a . . . it was something from an acquaintance of mine,” He avoided Toshinori’s attempt at eye contact. “Anyways, best of luck with your Dra-” He cut himself off, now that they were in the open. Toshinori was thankful for that, but still couldn’t drop the feeling that something was off and that he had just scratched the surface of something much larger. “I hope both of you get better soon,” _ _ _

_ _ _“Thank you, Midoriya,” And Toshinori watched the strange boy disappear behind the block. He seemed to be friends with the blonde from before, though their personalities couldn’t be any more different. And despite his youth, he seemed much wiser than most. But wisdom comes through difficulty, through hardship and through pain. Toshinori couldn’t help but wonder just what that boy had gone through. _ _ _

_ _ _“Chiyo?” He managed to get a hold of Recovery Girl on the third ring. “Is there any chance you could see me later today?”_ _ _

* * *

_ _ __I got him to smile_, Izuku thought as he walked back to his apartment. _And his Dragonite seemed to be doing much better. __ _ _

_ _ _His thoughts drifted back to Aspen and her bright smile. “Pokemon Professors play a large role in society. You have the trust of thousands of people, young and old. It’s our obligation to assist, educate and inspire,” _ _ _

_ _ _Izuku drew a deep breath. _That’s what I want to do, right? Be a hero. This is the only—__ _ _

_ _ _His thoughts were interrupted by a group of primary school children, enthusiastic shrieks and laughter piercing the silence. _ _ _

_ _ _“Rowlet, go save Ono and Bulbasaur!” _ _ _

_ _ _“Come on, Cyndaquill, we have to go beat the villain!” _ _ _

_ _ _“Chingling and I will save you!” _ _ _

_ _ _They ran around the playground, marching around with grins on their faces. Izuku watched them for a while, most donning Pro-Trainer merchandise. One of them had an All Might jacket while another had a Gang Orca beanie. They looked so . . . carefree. Untouched by the terrors and the reality of the cruel world. _ _ _

_ _ _All that mattered to them were their dreams. _ _ _

_ _ _Izuku kept walking, but occasionally, sent a glance behind him at the group of children, playing without a care in the world. _ _ _

_ _ __This is the only way._ He told himself again, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was playing pretend too, just like the children._ _ _

* * *

_ _ _Toshinori had been hit with her cane twice and had taken at least seven Pez machines to the head. Dragonite was now subjected to her constant mumbling about recklessness. _ _ _

_ _ _“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately,” Chiyo clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “It’s like you’re trying to work me into an early grave,” _ _ _

_ _ _“Yeah . . . I’m sorry,” Toshinori felt like he was in the principal’s office and was getting ratted out for misbehaving. _ _ _

_ _ _“Your apologies don’t mean anything if you don’t follow up on them,” She said while examining the bandaging Midoriya had put. She pointed at the splint with the tip of her cane. “Who did this? I know for a fact it wasn’t you,” _ _ _

_ _ _Toshinori’s cheeks reddened. She had witnessed some of his more . . . amatuer first aid attempts. “A boy I meet. He was an intern at the research lab downtown,” _ _ _

_ _ _“And you let him see Dragonite?” He gulped and nodded before choosing his next words very carefully. _ _ _

_ _ _“I . . . didn’t really have a choice. I was out of time and couldn’t make it to U.A. or a Pokemon Center. But he didn’t make the connection between my True and Hero Form . . . I think,” _ _ _

_ _ _“You think?” She repeated in disbelief before sighing deeply. “Well, whoever he is, he’s no beginner,” She examined Dragonite’s wounds. “He cleaned up the scraps nicely and treated the frostbite with just the right amount of Ice Heal. He didn’t immediately shove potions down Dragonite’s throat too,” Chiyo turned to him. “Berries, you said?”_ _ _

_ _ _“Sitrus,” Toshinori nodded. “He had a whole messenger bag with him full of medical supplies,” _ _ _

_ _ _Chiyo nodded approvingly. “Good. A balance between potions and berries is the key to a healthy recovery. And his splint is no joke either. It’s too loose around the torso, but otherwise, it’s good work,” She smiled. “This boy is no novice. I would say he could easily work at a Pokemon Center with a month or two of training,”_ _ _

_ _ _“I guess I got really lucky,” Toshinori admitted. _ _ _

_ _ _Chiyo’s smile straightened into a thin line. “You’ve been getting really lucky lately, Toshinori. Maybe it’s about time you listened to your gut,” He shrunk back under her gaze. “Have you chosen a successor yet?” _ _ _

Toshinori reflected on his conversation with Midoriya. _“They can’t control what they did back then but they can control how they choose to view it and adapt! You should regard a person based on their growth, not on their mistakes!”_

_ _ _“I believe I have,”_ _ _


End file.
